Update 8:50 a.m. - See the end of this story for a statement from Joe Rogers Jr.

MARIETTA — Senior Cobb Superior Court Judge Grant Brantley on Tuesday unsealed documents in a civil lawsuit between Waffle House CEO Joe Rogers Jr. and an Acworth woman who says Rogers forced her to perform sex acts on him as a condition of her eight-year employment with him.

Meanwhile, Rogers issued a statement indicating the sexual acts with his former personal assistant, Mye Brooke Brindle, were consensual.

“I am a victim of my own stupidity, but I am not going to be a victim of a crime — extortion,” Rogers said in the statement.

David Cohen, a lawyer for Brindle, said: “We understand he’s trying to spin his wrongful actions in some positive light, but we believe attempting to attack the victim will only make matters worse. We need to let a jury decide the issues. Our position and facts as they have evolved thus far are stated in our verified counterclaim filed in the courthouse, which is part of the record unsealed by the court today.”

Roger’s attorney, Robert Ingram of Marietta’s prominent Moore Ingram Johnson and Steele law firm, could not specify how much Brindle is seeking in the lawsuit, saying only that she “demanded millions.”

This morning, the sides are due back before Judge Brantley to address the court taking custody of audio and video evidence.

The Journal broke the story last week that Atlanta Police are investigating Brindle’s allegations that she is the victim of sex crimes perpetrated by Rogers.

Brindle, 43, of Acworth, told Atlanta police that most of the forced sex acts occurred at Rogers’ Buckhead home. Her report was made on Sept. 28.

On Sept. 14, Rogers sought an injunction in Cobb Superior Court to keep Brindle from distributing recordings of the encounters. Until Tuesday, those case documents were under seal.

Brindle then filed suit against Rogers in Fulton State Court on Sept. 19, though all documents in that case remain under seal. Two weeks ago, Brindle’s lawyers appealed the Fulton sealing order to the Georgia Supreme Court. That court e-mailed the case file to the Journal just before it was sealed there as well.

Rogers’ attorneys have now asked Judge Brantley to hold Brindle’s lawyers in contempt on the claim they leaked the story despite the civil case being sealed. Brantley plans to schedule a hearing on the matter.

According to the incident report, Brindle told Atlanta Police that she is a single mother with a high school education and worked as Rogers’ personal assistant from 2003 until May 2012. Her job was to manage the day-to-day operations of Rogers’ estate, and her workplace was Rogers’ home. Her allegations to police indicate Rogers is in his early 60s.

“As a condition of Brindle’s employment, and against Brindle’s will, Rogers willfully, repeatedly and with specific intent to harm and oppress Brindle, required Brindle to perform sexual services,” according to the police incident report. “Rogers frequently appeared naked in front of Brindle. … Rogers treated Brindle as subservient and required Brindle to perform these various sexual acts on him as a condition of her employment.”

Here is the text of the statement released by attorneys for Joe Rogers Jr. on November 13.

“Over an almost eight year period when I was separated, single and re-married, I had a series of infrequent consensual sexual encounters with my housekeeper. That was wrong of me and I am very sorry for the pain and embarrassment I’ve caused my wife and family. There is no excuse for what I have done.

My housekeeper started working with me in 2003, and was working fifteen hours per week when she was let go at the end of 2008. She then re-applied and was re-hired as my house manager in late 2009, where she worked until she quit her job in June of this year. Shortly thereafter, on July 16, 2012, I received a letter from her attorney containing false allegations and strong threats. According to her attorneys, she now wants millions of dollars from me.

I am a victim of my own stupidity, but I am not going to be a victim of a crime – extortion. I shared the threatening blackmail letter with my wife and we engaged attorneys to investigate the situation. On September 14, 2012, I initiated court proceedings and my former housekeeper and her attorneys have responded with false allegations, including filing a false Police Report.

As personally embarrassing as this situation is for me, I am committed to the legal and law enforcement process to expose the motives of my former housekeeper and her attorneys.

I apologize to my wife, family, friends and coworkers for my personal behavior and will work hard to regain their trust and respect.”

Regardless of the motives and circumstances... this must be one of the dumbest men on this planet.. like so many others in positions of power and authority, it goes to their head. Or their head. Or... well.....

Obviously, this sexual relationship was consensual. Brindle could have gotten another job, and she could have refused to come to the home of Rogers, rather than continuing for nine years in a role she considered "subservient" and unwanted. If she continued to receive pay from Rogers in return for providing illicit sex, she was engaging in prostitution. Now she wants to make even more money out of him by having him pay damages. Indeed this is an attempt at extortion. I hope the judge does not become complicit.

Please don't pass judgment until all of the facts are out. There is more to this story than anyone knows.

ed going to eat more

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November 15, 2012

smothered, covered, scattered, chunked, and dunked!!!!

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